have an emergency kit - include plastic sheets, duct tape and scissors to seal any areas where air can get inside your home or building

learn what to do during and after a hazardous chemical incident.

In a major incident, depending on the circumstances, you may need to shelter in place or evacuate.

'Shelter in place' is a term used by emergency services. It means to make a shelter out of the place you are in - eg home, school or workplace. You should try not to shelter in a vehicle unless you have no other choice, as vehicles aren't airtight enough to give you adequate protection from chemical fumes and smoke.

When discussing your plan with your household, decide on a safe room where you can take shelter:

a room with as few windows and doors as possible

above ground level, as some chemicals ‘sink’

has a water supply.

You should also be aware of the emergency procedures at your work, your children's school and on public transport that you use.

Schools have their own emergency procedures and will shelter any children in attendance during an incident. School officials and emergency services will decide when its safe to collect children from school.

During a chemical emergency

If you are the first on the scene:

warn people in the immediate vicinity

where possible, try to remain upwind of the scene

dial Triple Zero (000) and ask for fire - provide as much information as you can without endangering yourself, eg address of incident, name of chemical and UN number, amount of chemical spilt, form of chemical (solid, liquid, gas), details of any people affected or injured, details of any vehicles involved

don't ignore the incident

don't touch or breathe in the chemical.

Shelter in place

If you are told to shelter in place:

go inside as quickly as possible, taking pets with you

if there is time:

shut all external windows and doors

turn off all heating and cooling

close off any areas where air can get in

go to a safe room and take with you:

your family and pets

emergency kit with food and water supplies

your mobile phone and charger

once in your safe room:

shut the door

seal areas where air can get in - eg under doors, through drain holes or vents, around windows. Use wet towels or wet newspaper or plastic and duct tape

Carbon dioxide will build up in a sealed room, depending on the size of the room and the number of people in it. After two to three hours, contaminated air from outside, will gradually seep into the room. At this point evacuation from the area is the better protective action to take.

Evacuation

When evacuating:

follow instructions from emergency services

follow your emergency plan

take your emergency kit with the bare essentials as you'll need to leave quickly